Production of the low-molecular-weight chitin and chitosan forms in electron-beam plasma

Resumo

The degradation of chitin and chitosans of different molecular weights stimulated by electronbeam plasmas of different gases has been experimentally studied. Biologically active water-soluble lowmolecular-weight chitooligosaccharides are formed as a result of plasma-beam treatment. It has been found that the degradation is a controlled process and products with a necessary molecular weight can be obtained by appropriately choosing plasma-beam treatment parameters (chemical composition of the plasma gas and treatment time and temperature).